TiltControls
2022
Despite its massive flaws, at the end of the day I had fun playing Pokemon Scarlet. It's a bit of a shame since the game is super glitchy, very ugly, and has some baffling strange design decisions - but at its core fully opening the world was an incredibly fun direction that could've made a 5/5 game if it was implemented with a few more years of polish.
2012
Everyone gets their MMO drug of choice and for the past 10 years this has been mine. The ability to just drop for a year or two at a time and come back in with little to no catching up to do gearwise really helps from feeling burned out (not to mention not having a subscription fee to make you feel like you need to be playing). The gameplay might not be as intricate compared to some others out there, but it's really fun once you get the hang of it. And the amount of things you can do in the world, especially as a solo player, really helps so you never feel like there's nothing to do. The endgame turns a bit into Fashion Wars, which may turn some people off who are looking for a more traditional power grind - but if you enjoy the exploration or character part of MMOs I highly recommend this one.
2019
It's almost impossible to talk about everything great this game does without delving too deep into spoiler territory, but to put it lightly it combines exploration, discovery, and storytelling perfectly. Also helps that it has one of the most captivating soundtracks of the past decade too.
2018
Playing this game walks a fine line between fun and panic-inducing. Some of the levels seem a little impossibly built for any fewer than 4 people, but if you can find 3 fellow cooking masochists you're in for a good time (albeit with lots of yelling).
1994
While I do love Mario's 2D platformers, the DKC series will always be king to me in both mechanics and level design. The levels are so much more unique and memorable and Rare did a fantastic job integrating the platforming into the world at large; using trees, cliffs, treetops, minecarts, and all sorts of setpieces that make the world feel much more realistic than a bunch of floating blocks. The music is also some of the best in the business, with David Wise and Eveline Fischer composing some absolutely stunning backing tracks. The art is fantastic, especially for the time but even now has held up well. Maybe it's nostalgia, but there's really little I can even suggest to improve this game in my mind. The bosses are a bit unmemorable, but otherwise there's a reason I keep continually returning to this game.